Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) is directed by George Miller and stars Tom Hardy, Charlize Theron, Nicholas Hoult, Hugh Keays-Byrne, Riley Keough, Zoe Kravitz, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. This is the fourth film in the franchise that began with Mad Max (1979) and previously starred Mel Gibson as the titular Max. Tom Hardy inherits the role of Max as the character once again wanders an Australian wasteland while attempting to survive its many otherworldly dangers. Against his better judgment, Max is roped into aiding a rebel named Furiosa (Theron) in her attempt to free a tyrannical warlord’s (Keays-Byrne) various wives whom he holds captive as slaves. With the warlord’s zealots hot on their tail, the group races across a barren desert in an attempt to reach a fabled oasis called “the green place” where precious resources such as water and fresh crops grow with ease. Initially a broken man lacking a clear path, Max finds an opportunity for redemption through the group’s attachment to a kind of humanity he thought was all but extinct. However, he’s not the only member of the group seeking redemption. Furisoa struggles with a mysterious past that ripped her from her home while a disgraced zealot turned ally, Nux (Hoult), struggles to rediscover his purpose after being shunned by his “family.” 

Although the film is pretty much an action extravaganza for the majority of its runtime, it still finds ways to establish its characters through unconventional means. The character of Max has almost no dialogue except for an occasional one-word answer so it’s even more impressive that this choice avoids sacrificing any kind of attachment to the character. This is partly due to Hardy’s performance. There’s a certain level of stewing pain that permeates from his gaze, conveying exactly how he feels without a single line of dialogue. 

Theron’s performance elevates the character of Furisoa to one of the most iconic female action heroes of the 2010s. It’s no surprise we are getting a prequel focusing on her character set for release later this year. She’s badass, nuanced, and authentic. Not to mention, the character displays a unique visual design that includes a mechanical arm (8-year-old me is cheering to the heavens). The film’s clear depiction of good and evil allows Furisoa’s motivations to remain effective despite their simplicity. Even though her motivations are anything but original, her journey always feels like a necessity.

The other standout performance next to Theron is Nicholas Hoult as Nux. The character is initially one of the film’s many psychotic antagonists, but after a specific turn of events, has a change of heart and chooses to help the protagonists. The film presents the character’s arc when he is still a villain, but interestingly enough, this arc doesn’t change once he has a change of heart. Instead of his motivations changing completely, they are instead reframed. His goals are the same but now serve a different purpose. It’s a tough idea to explain without specific spoilers, but it’s entirely clear when watching the film.

The rest of the cast doesn’t get a lot of focus but they often stand out because of the jaw-dropping makeup and costume work. The villains of the original three films always had a lot of flair, but it was mostly due to their heavy use of leather. In Fury Road, the humans/creatures feel authentically alien, scarred by generations of radiation and a lack of resources. 

The film is essentially just one long car chase, and oh boy that is not a criticism, it’s a glowing compliment so bright it might blind a person. The film is a full 2 hours but feels closer to a runtime of 80 minutes. This is not simply due to the amount of action, but the quality of the action. What the film gets right that so many action films don’t is the variety in the action. More specifically, each piece of action has meaning/purpose. It isn’t just action for the sake of action, It’s always driven by some kind of goal or problem that needs solving. It also helps that a majority of the stunts/crashes were filmed practically. The film would not be half as effective if it were to rely heavily on CGI. With such a fantastical, post-apocalyptic setting, it’s necessary to present the visuals as authentically as possible. These types of films are inherently in more danger of losing an audience’s immersion. They therefore have to take extra steps to maintain a level of authenticity that helps to quell the film’s occasional descents into camp. 

Overall, this is a killer post-apocalyptic film that is likewise one of the best action films of the last decade. The visual effects are stunning, realistic, and admittedly a bit terrifying. It builds its characters in efficient ways that allow the action to maintain its pace. It’s a masterful balance that gives the viewer the best of both worlds without sacrificing the quality of either. The performances are subtle but memorable and feel satisfying without leeching the effectiveness of other, equally important, elements. It’s also nice that this works as a starting point for the Mad Max series, and rightfully so. It’s easily the best film in the franchise (sorry, The Road Warrior lovers). A-